Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Sarah pov.

The house smelled like roasted vegetables and freshly baked bread, and the faint sound of laughter filled the air.

I was setting up the dining table when the doorbell rang. My friends had promised to come over for a small lunch, and even though I had planned everything carefully, I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my stomach. Hosting anything felt like a big deal these days-I got tired so easily. But I missed my girls, and today felt like the perfect excuse to catch up.

"Coming!" I called out, adjusting a plate before hurrying to the door.

When I opened it, Tanya stood there with a big grin and an even bigger box wrapped in shiny paper. Behind her were Nina and Claire, both carrying smaller gift bags.

"Baby shower came early!" Tanya announced, stepping inside and kissing me on the cheek.

"Oh, come on," I said, laughing. "It's just lunch. No gifts necessary."

"Yeah, well, too late," Nina chimed in, holding up a bag decorated with tiny rattles and pacifiers. "This is happening whether you like it or not."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop smiling. These girls always knew how to make me feel loved.

The meal was simple but delicious. Roasted chicken, a hearty salad, warm bread-it was nothing fancy, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.

We sat around the table, talking and laughing like no time had passed since our last get-together.

"So," Claire started, leaning forward with a teasing smile, "any weird cravings yet? Pickles and ice cream? Peanut butter on pizza?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Nothing that crazy. Mostly fruit, honestly. Although there was this one night I really wanted mustard on crackers."

"Mustard?" Tanya asked, making a face. "That's... different."

grinning. "But he brought it to me anyway. That

shifted to their own parenting stories. Tanya, who had two toddlers, shared a hilarious tale about her three-year-old hiding

about everything from diapers to midnight feedings. Claire, the most experienced of the group, gave practical advice with the calm authority of someone who'd

going to have an opinion about how you should do things. But you know your baby better

trying to soak in every word. It felt good to

in the dining room, looking at the pile of gifts they'd left behind. There were tiny clothes,

and wiping down the

Some changes were obvious-my growing belly, the constant exhaustion-but others were more

meeting up with friends for

that the distance would strain our relationships. But today

tired to leave the house or if I spent half the conversation complaining about swollen ankles. They just wanted to

I realized how lucky I was to have people like them

video called later

with a glass of water, Richard walked in. He had his hands

up to?"

your eyes," he

"Why?"

"Just do it."

out my hands. I heard the rustle of paper and felt something light being placed

can open

paper resting on top of a notebook. I looked up

"What's this?"

said, sitting

reading. It was a letter, written in

Dear Baby, it began.